The Hacktory Blog

Help Us Support Artists Through Our T.E.R.A. Incognita Project

The Hacktory has created a new residency to train artists who want to incorporate sensors, cameras, circuits, and software into their work. The residency is called T.E.R.A Incognita: Tech Education and Residency for Artists, and will select 8-10 artists from the Philadelphia area. The artists will be partake in a series of workshops and will be given a stipend and workspace. The project will conclude with a final exhibition to show their new work. As of November 1 The Hacktory launched a kickstarter campaign that will run through December 2 to raise funds to get the project started.

The name “T.E.R.A Incognita” is part acronym and part vision for the program. In addition to gaining basic technology training, participating artists will be encouraged to experiment on the edges of technology in literally unchartered territory, with the help of a group of experienced new media artists who will serve as mentors and teachers.

To complete this project, The Hacktory been awarded a generous matching grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge. The idea for T.E.R.A. Incognita was selected out of more than 1200 applications and awarded a matching grant of $40,000. For the Kickstarter campaign, The Hacktory is only looking for $12,000 to complete the planning phase. The Hacktory will seek foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and other individual donations to complete the rest of the match.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has pledged to match donations to this project, up to $40,000. This funding comes from the Knight Arts Challenge, a $9 million initiative supporting innovative projects that engage and enrich Philadelphia’s communities. Donate today to help us reach our goal!

If you prefer, please send a check to the following address, made out to “The Miami Foundation” (our fiscal sponsor) with “The Hacktory” in the memo line.

“The intersection of art and technology provides creative minds with a wealth of opportunity. We look forward to seeing how these artists can create projects that engage Philadelphia audiences,” said Dennis Scholl, Vice President for Arts at Knight Foundation.

“True innovation comes from a synthesis of ideas, and there is no better catalyst than that found through the sharing of knowledge promoted through the Hacktory’s activities and events,” offers Wil Lindsay, an expert interactive artist and educator involved at the Hacktory. “This new funding source allows the reach of that catalyst to move far beyond a small room with a few ‘geeks’ hovering over laptops, soldering irons, and blinking LEDs. It means these shared ideas can reach a larger audience and new creators, and spread through the Philadelphia region where it can really make a difference.”

The Hacktory is a nonprofit organization staffed entirely by volunteers; donations are tax-free and will go towards paying teachers, buying materials, and giving stipends to participating artists during their residency. We want artists and the general public to think of code and solder as they think of paint and dance steps, as the building blocks of creative works that can move and inspire us. We think that by giving artists the chance to inspire us, it will spark further tinkering that is the root of entrepreneurship and innovation. Help us fund an exciting program bringing Philadelphia’s artists and technologists together!

The T.E.R.A. Incognita program will give artists a chance to hack hardware and learn to code

About Post Author

I am a designer, maker, and now I call myself a hacker too. I've always loved making things, from sewing to construction projects, and recently renovating my house. I work as a designer at the Action Mill, where we use the principles of human-centered design and nonviolence to address large, intangible problems. I love what The Hacktory has become, and am really thankful for all the contributions from people over the years that have helped make it this way. I hope to see it continue to grow and encourage others to hack and make cool things.